


The Angels Led Him Away

by WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken



Series: Fallen Angels [1]
Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-26 05:15:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13850853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken/pseuds/WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken
Summary: Upon the team's return from Moscow, Deeks is arrested on corruption charges by LAPD internal affairs. While the team works to get Deeks released, Deeks still has to face the consequences of past choices.





	1. In Which A Man Is Accused

**Author's Note:**

> The title for the story is from Folk Bloodbath by Josh Ritter. Set Post Season-6

"I know we weren't supposed to be in Russia, but you'd think the least the MVD could do was give us upgrades. I mean, we did take out a whole section of the Bratva." Kensi and Deeks were climbing the stairs up to his apartment, their apartment. Though, the way they shambled up the stairs, an observer would think that they were drunk. In reality, it was a twelve-hour flight from Moscow to LA, in coach, surrounded by every screaming child on the plane.

"Well, let’s face it, they probably were close friends with some of those guys and their economy's in the toilet right now."

"That might explain the screaming childr-." Detective Rivera was standing in front of their apartment door.

"Martin Deeks."

"What do you want, Detective?"

"You are under arrest." Two more detectives stepped out of Deeks' apartment. One was carrying an evidence bag, which contained money, documents, and a laptop. Another two came out of the neighbouring apartment. Two black and whites pulled into the parking lot below.

Deeks raised his hands above his head.

"You can't just-."

"It’s okay Kens."

One of the Detectives stepped up behind him and gently placed he cuffs on. "Detective, are you carrying any weapons or sharp objects. Sorry I've got to ask." Kensi watched it happen, but it was like there was a pane of glass between her and what was happening.

"Pistol on my lower back, backup in an ankle holster, knife at my left hip, and another knife in the sole of my shoe." Rivera quirked an eyebrow. "It pays to be prepared."

Kensi came back to the world. "What are the charges?"

"Corrupt activity. Theft. Murder."

"Do you have a warrant?"

"Signed by a judge." Rivera held it up.

"Let me read it."

"You aren't entitled to a copy."

"No, but I am," said Deeks.

Rivera placed the warrant in Deeks' pocket. Deeks immediately turned to Kensi who took it.

"Hey."

"It’s my document; I can do what I want with it." One of the other Detectives behind Rivera smirked. "I think you forget that I used to be a lawyer."

Rivera glared at Deeks. "Take him." Kensi watched as they led Deeks away. Then she called Callen.

***

Eric, Nell and Granger were waiting when Kensi, Callen and Sam walked into OSP.

"What do we know?"

"Deeks has been arrested for corrupt activity, theft and murder."

"We knew that thirty minutes ago."

"IA operates behind another layer of security and mainly on paper, there's almost nothing on their computer network." Eric said.

Nell turned to Granger. "You may want to cover your ears for this part."

Granger remained still.

Eric continued. "I hacked the LAPD phone network and IA's personal cells and I'm searching the files for Deeks' name now. I also hacked Rivera's personal computer. Nothing on the case, but there is an application for the FBI. It's been sent and is being processed."

"So this is a job interview?"

"I don't know."

"There are people at the FBI who we've pissed off over the years, Agent Callen. Some of them might have the juice to smooth the way for an applicant and a few might be willing to require a favour in order to so. I'll see what I can find out. In the meantime Agent Callen, we're going to need as much information as we can get."

"Nell, go through Deeks' financials, if there's anything that suggests he was taking bribes, then we need to get all the facts and an alternate explanation. Eric, send a third of the calls to me and a third to Sam. Kensi, get down to LAPD headquarters right now. Keep tabs on Deeks and the investigation."

Callen pulled out a phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Bates. Let’s see what he knows." The phone started to ring. Callen realised that there was someone inconspicuously absent from the meeting. "Where's Hetty?"

"I called her, told her what happened." Eric answered. "She said thanks and hung up."

Sam and G shared a look. Their boss had been MIA during the mission to Moscow, but she had enough contacts to know this was coming and yet she hadn't let slip one word. Now she appeared to be off pursuing her own agenda.

***

Deeks was resting his arms on the table. Not only was it the most comfortable position to keep his cuffed hands, but it also meant he didn’t have to worry about falling out his chair while he slept. He had a feeling there wouldn’t be much to be had in the near future.

“Good morning sleeping beauty.”

“Rivera. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you, but it’s, you know, really not.”

“You want coffee, water, something to eat maybe. I offer because I know you had a long flight and I didn’t want you to be diminished in any way when you make your statement.”

“I wouldn’t mind the cuffs off.”

“Not happening. Criminals stay in cuffs.”

“When did I become a criminal?”

“Around the same time you started stealing money.” She placed the evidence bag with the money on the table.

“You have proof that the money’s stolen. I do keep a go bag in my closet.”

“And another in your car and at least another three in lockers in bus stations around the city.”

“If you looked into any of the people I work with, you’d find exactly the same thing. Our boss requires it, one of her unwritten rules.”

“We also have the testimony of two drug dealers you ripped off.” The past coming back around. It wasn’t something he was proud of, going along with other members of his squad. Especially given where it led. But he didn’t want to go to jail and he certainly wasn’t going to give Rivera the satisfaction of getting what she wanted.

“Drug dealers huh. Upstanding members of the community no doubt. Very reliable”

“They distinctly recall a tall blonde haired man, and they picked you out of a line up.”

“After nearly ten years, how many times did you have to give them the fat finger?”

“You also made extra deposits into your bank account, for a six month period beginning not long after you started working undercover narcotics.”

“That was almost ten years ago.”

“Time changes nothing.”

“Maybe I was working an extra job to help pay for my mother’s cancer treatment.”

“You didn’t declare it on your taxes.”

“What are you the IRS? It was ten years ago, how am I supposed to remember.”

“There’s also the matter of the 42nd Street Boys.”

“I don’t recall them, but then there are 450 gangs in this City of Angels.”

“Shortly before you transferred from Narcotics to the Undercover Unit, four of their dealers were shot to death in their stash house. At the time, a witness heard someone yell ‘Police’, but it never went anywhere. Now, it looks considerably more suspicious.”

“Well, thank you for that disclosure. Now I want a lawyer.”

"You really want to play it that way?"

"I'm not playing anything. I’m exercising my rights under the sixth amendment."

In the observation room, Bates smiled. "Smart, he got Rivera to lay out her whole case before he lawyered up." He turned to Kensi. "You want to go in and see him?"

Kensi said nothing.

***

Less than a quarter hour later, a man in a suit arrived. He immediately handed over a card. Mickey Haller, Attorney. No esquire, but Deeks had always found that a little pretentious.

“That was fast.”

“A guy named Bates called me an hour ago.”

“Well in that case, what took you so long?”

“I live in Hollywood Hills, and then LAPD pulled their usual tricks until a very helpful Detective named Bernhart gave me excellent directions.”

Deeks smiled. Bates still had his back. Though it was starting to look like NCIS didn’t.

“I understand you used to be a lawyer.”

“Public defender.”

“Then that makes this simpler. I trust you didn’t say anything.”

“Other than variations on the theme of I know nothing.”

“Good.”

“And Rivera laid out at least part of her case.”

“Even better.” Deeks briefly sketched out what Rivera had told him.

“Are you aware of anything that’s not in that list that might hurt you?”

“The other people who were there, but I doubt they’re going to just confess.”

“Anything else?”

“The guns from that night all went down a storm drain. I wore gloves. Rivera already has the money, but I’m sure that doesn’t prove anything.”

“It just looks really bad. The major problem, I’m sure you’re aware is that under California law you’re guilty of everything that happened that night, provided it was a foreseeable consequence of the robbery. If this goes to trial, then I don’t give you better than a 50/50 shot of escaping prison. And win or lose, this is not something your career will recover from.”

“I know.”

“I think we should make a deal.”

“Not yet.”

“I strongly recommend we make a deal as soon as possible before they find something more. If you don’t you could get the death penalty, murder in the commission of a robbery.”

“I know, and I politely reject your advice.”

“May I ask why?”

“Have you met Rivera?”

“The detective on your case? No.”

“She won’t accept anything less than some jail time. A deal means I go to prison, which means I’m dead within a month.”

“Fair enough. If I could get you a deal that didn’t include prison?”

“I’d consider it. But I don’t like your chances.”

There was a knock at the door. Rivera and another detective were outside. “Time’s up.”

“Time’s up? Are you crazy?”

“Is your client going to make a statement?”

“Not at this time.”

“Then he has to be processed.”

Haller sighed. Deeks knew that while they could probably stand on their right to continue meeting, by the time they found someone to support them on it, it would be irrelevant. He rose from his chair. The other detective, Brown, re-locked Deeks’ cuffs behind his back and guided him into the hallway.

Bates and Kensi were standing not far from the door. Kensi looked him in the eye and gave him a small nod. Bates had eyes only for Rivera. “You’re gen-dening him?” Oh no.

“Deeks has no special reason not to be placed in the general population.”

Bates was shaking with anger. “Up until now, I’ve accepted that you are doing this with good intentions. Trying to take down bad guys; even if you picked on a good one. But now, after this, I want you understand that one day, when the time is right. You will suffer for this.” Rivera took an involuntary step back, while Brown moved as far away from his boss as he possibly could. A supervisor threatening another officer, in front of a half dozen witnesses was surely a sign of the apocalyptic hell that would rain down upon said officer and anyone who got too close.

Brown led Deeks down a series of all hallways but as they neared Central Holding, he pulled him up short.

“Listen, as far as anyone in there concerned, you’re Max Gentry.” Deeks turned and looked at him. “Rivera may be willing to take the risk, but your boss certainly isn’t.

“Bates?”

“Henrietta Lange.”

“You know Hetty?” It was disconcerting, that he hadn’t heard a word from Hetty

“I do now. Anyone asks, you didn’t get this from me,” said Brown, as he pressed a shiv into Deeks’ hand. Deeks slid it up his sleeve. Then he was led through the gate into Central Holding.

***

"Deeks has been gen den'd," said Bates into the speakerphone that connected them to the Mission.

"What?" Callen asked.

"Placed in general detention, it’s commonly used to soften defendants up for a plea. I’m going to make sure it blows up in Rivera’s face.”

"Much good that will do word gets out that Deeks is a detective and they kill him," said Kensi.

"Mr Deeks is in the LAPD computers as Max Gentry. It is by far his best cover. Only Internal Affairs believes that he is Martin Deeks,” said Hetty. Kensi turned to see her diminutive boss standing in the now open door.

“Is that you, Hetty?”

“You believed that I would not protect one of my agents, Mr Callen.” Callen said nothing but it had been something every one of them had been thinking.

“And if there’s someone in there who recognises him?” Sam asked.

Bates spoke up. “All we can do is pray that there isn’t. And get him out of there as fast as we can.”


	2. In Which A Man Is In A Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains what I regard as canon-typical levels of violence

Holding Cell A in the LAPD Central Holding was exclusively for white males. The segregation ended there, and so there were knots of Aryans, Russians, and various other eastern bloc nationalities, who seemed more cordial with each other than with their former soviet overlords, clustered in the 30x30 space. In one corner, was another group, three men, white but no visible tattoos of any kind, not even on their arms. Two of them were in their mid-thirties and had the look of former soldiers, while the third was younger, in his mid-twenties and was moving his gaze between the different groups, observing but not outwardly afraid.

Deeks took up a position about midway between this trio and a group of eastern bloc gangsters midway along the back wall. There he stood, projecting the cool confidence that was Max's trademark. His other trademark, beating the crap out of people, probably wasn't the best move here.

The younger man caught notice of Deeks and walked over, the two former soldiers rose and walked with him. Definitely bodyguards.

"You got a name?"

"Do you?" Deeks needed time to think. If he was going to get himself out of this, he needed a minute to find a way out. Which was probably part of the reason he'd been gen den'd in the first place.

"Ernest Thornhill."

"Seriously?" Deeks asked in atone that he intended to mix both surprise and go away in roughly equal measure.

"My grandfather immigrated from Russia, he liked North by Northwest, changed the family name from Stepandrov, understandably. Don't ask me where Ernest came from."

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other-" If hostility didn't work, maybe mockery would.

"Jeez dad I know how babies are made. And you didn't answer my question." Not as easily distracted as most.

"The name my mother gave me." This time piss off and anger for tone.

"A non-answer if I ever heard one." The guy wouldn't take a hint. And all Deeks wanted was to be left alone. From the back of his mind Max made a suggestion, that forebrain Deeks didn't disagree with.

"How about piss off before I beat your skull in?"

"That sounds made up." Gentry took a powerful step forward. Thornhill didn't flinch. Though both his bodyguards stepped forward so they stood shoulder to shoulder with their boss.

Three to one odds weren't good and as much as Max was screaming to be set loose, Deeks knew that he had too much to live for to be beaten to death in a holding cell.

"Max Gentry."

"What you in for?"

"You're going to play twenty questions?"

"I'm just making conversation. Nothing else to do here and I already know these guys," said Thornhill, indicating the two ex-soldiers flanking him.

"Possession, firearms."

"Business or use?"

"Business."

Thornhill nodded. "Well, they say I made threats, assaulted an officer and resisted arrest, but whether I did or not is yet to be proven."

"Who the hell did you piss off?"

"Some cop on a power trip. It ain’t no thing."

"Why did you come over here?"

"You're not afraid, so you've been in a place like this before, but you're alone, not in a regular crew. And you're mid-to-late thirties, in this life, and not dead. Therefore, you're capable and I wanted to feel you out." That kind of analysis was deeply unsettling. To Deeks it spoke to a rational and empathetic brain, which was rare in a world where most of the men who weren't killed by their twenty fifth birthday were sociopaths.

"And now?"

"I haven't decided yet." Well at least things weren't going to be boring.

*** 

Deeks stood in his spot for another hour, which included a rather charming encounter with a group of Polish gangsters who had formed the mistaken impression their ancestors had come from Africa far more recently than they actually had. Deeks let Max handle that one. Thornhill moved around the holding cell, making conversation, trying his hand at a craps game over near the left wall and losing badly. Finally, he made his way back over to Deeks.

He indicated a group near the front corner. "I spoke to our Aryan friends over there. Apparently Max Gentry is man who can get things, in the outside world at least."

"You're checking up on me already?"

"It's like my father used to say, you have to look at the whole board."

"We're in jail, don't you have more immediate concerns, like prison."

"I have a goal, and this temporary delay isn't going to stop me. Achieving that goal will require resources, and I haven't found a reason why you shouldn't be the one to help supply them." Oh this was just perfect. Rational, patient and driven. Deeks wondered if Ernest Thornhill was known to LAPD yet, because he would be soon.

"You're offering me a job?"

"Not yet. I'm just saying that I've heard you're a good operator and it might be a good idea if I knew where to find you if at some point in the future I wanted to have a conversation."

"The Old Haunt on Preston. The bartender knows how to contact me." It was pure reflex. It wasn't until after he said the words that he realised that, despite the fact that LAPD had apparently turned their backs on him, he was still doing the job he loved.

The door to the holding cell opened. A man, about 6'2" and already dressed in DOC attire, walked in. He had brown hair and could have passed for Thornhill's older brother. Thornhill got up and headed over. The two men embraced. Apparently, they were brothers.

"What are you doing here?"

"They pulled me out of my cell this morning, some bullshit about new charges. I didn't even get a phone call before they had me on the transport bus. You?"

"I got arrested: threats, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest."

"Them?" He asked, pointing at the bodyguards.

"22-55. Listen Rog, its petty harassment so the Mayor can get the stats up for the elect-"

He paused, realising how little sense his words made, and turned to the two bodyguards who were currently on the other side of the room. Both men got up and started walking over, attempting to appear casual.

At the same time, the Russians broke into two groups. One moved to block the bodyguards. The other made for the Thornhill brothers.

The Russians moved past Deeks and spread out, quickly surrounding the brothers. Deeks saw at least two shivs in the hands of the Russians. Ernest raised his fists while his brother dropped a shiv out of his sleeve. That gave the Russians pause. But even so the brothers were outnumbered three to one and would be killed within minutes of it coming to blows.

Deeks drew his own shiv and stabbed one of the Russians hard in the back. The man went down in a cry of pain. His fellows turned on Deeks and the Thornhill brothers struck. The elder got in his own back stab before planting the shiv in another's belly. Ernest delivered a gut punch to one and then grabbed the man's head and slammed the Russian's face against his knee. Deeks punched another Russian in the face and the man went down. Roge picked up another shiv and delivered three strikes to the remaining Russian's gut even as he backed away.

Then the three men turned to the other group, even as the alarms started to blare. Already four Russians were down but one of the bodyguards was also down and the other was bleeding from a gut stab and swiping a knife, not a shiv, in front of him in a vain attempt to keep the remaining three Russians away. But suddenly the Russians found themselves facing another three armed and unwounded men. The fight lasted only a few seconds. Deeks held back but the Thornhill brothers did not. Ernest stabbed one in the gut. The elder Thornhill stabbed one in the back before he could even turn and sliced the remaining man's throat even as the Russian tried to grapple. Then he turned to the watching crowd. "Anyone else?" There were no takers.

As soon as it was over, Ernest dropped to his knees beside the unmoving bodyguard. He quickly checked for a pulse and, finding one, pulled off his own shirt to staunch the flow of blood. The elder Thornhill placed his sweatshirt against the wounded man's side and supported him as he collapsed to the ground. Deeks dropped his own shiv and fell to his knees as the holding cell door was opened. A dozen guards in riot gear came pouring in, batons raised.

Deeks awoke in a hospital bed.

"Sleeping beauty awakens."

"You think I'm beautiful?

"I told you he was funny."

"Yeah you sang his praises." The elder Thornhill turned to Deeks. "I don't think we've been introduced. Roger Thornhill."

"Max Gentry."

"You've been in prison before."

"Two years, unlicensed firearm; one year and a hell of an ass-kicking for assaulting an officer. How'd you know?"

"Because you carry a shiv with you."

"Thank you, by the way. We wouldn't have made it out without your help." Ernest said.

"How are your guys?"

"Both on their way to surgery."

"And the other guys?"

"A few of them definitely aren't getting up."

"And the rest better hope I never see them again." Rob put in. Deeks felt the sinking sensation that he knew was the onset of guilt over the deaths he'd caused.

His face obviously betrayed emotion because Ernest said, "Don't worry, you're not going to be charged, not between our bullshit and that the Russians were clearly going to attack first. And if you do, we'll have your back."

"Thanks."

"As long as you're with us, we'll be with you." Deeks wondered how far that loyalty would go when the chips were down.

"Who were those guys?"

"Don't know but my guess is they work for Tyodor Muscov. We have a dispute with him."

"I've heard of him." Muscov controlled a large part of the LA drug trade. He was also a thug who wasn't above acts of wanton violence, such as a car bombing that had killed one of his major rival and the man's wife and two kids or riddling a crowded restaurant with bullets to kill another, and apparently he had enough influence to have one man arrested and another moved from prison to jail just to kill them. "What kind of dispute?"

"The kind that started when he killed our father."

"I see." They were going to be trouble down the road.

"I really hope that you never do." Of all the things the man could have said, it had to be something that reminded him of his treatment at the hands of Siderov.

The door to the infirmary opened. A man in a uniform and another in a suit stood in the doorway, together with three COs.

"Gentry, you're going to solitary. Thornhill, you're going back to San Quentin. Apparently it was an error in your paperwork that brought you here. Other Thornhill, you're being released. The charges against you have been dropped."

"Guess Muscov has decided to cut his losses," Ernest said to Rob quiet enough that the guards couldn't hear.

"Doesn't mean he won't try again. Watch yourself."

"You too."

The guards walked into the room and started to un-cuff the brothers and Deeks.

"See you round Max, and thank you."

"See you round, and you're welcome."

Instead of guiding Deeks to the hole, the guard led him into the admin block. Gathered in a room were Granger, Bates, Rivera and Kensi. The moment Deeks was in the room, Kensi stepped forward, but stopped short almost immediately.

"I take it Rivera briefed you."

"That's not relevant now," said Bates.

"Are you serious?" Rivera said, turning on Bates.

"No, this is my joking voice."

"He's corrupt."

"He went along, to get along, for six months, the better part of a decade ago. You have nothing on him now and he's more than proved what a good cop he is." It was touching how much faith Bates had in him.

"Just because I haven't found something doesn't mean it isn't there." Oh that was just hurtful.

"Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty Detective? I doubt your bosses would be happy to find out that you were harassing one of the Department's best over something that you can barely prove, against people nobody cares about, from a time out of memory. And it's not like he killed anyone."

"He killed someone today."

"He saved a life today. Even when you locked him up, he still protected and served. Think about how that will play." Rivera's face twisted into something ugly. She turned to Deeks.

"Where did you get the shiv?"

"More importantly are you ok? The guards gave you a hell of a knock." Bates said

"I'm fine." He felt Kensi's gaze boring into the side of his head. "I'm good. I've been hit harder before." And the less said about that the better. He turned to Rivera. "As for where the shiv came from, you're a detective, you figure it out."

"You really are going in solitary now. When I informed Rivera's superiors that you had been gen den'd, they were displeased. Especially when the FOP found out." Rivera fixed Granger with a dark look. Apparently, the plan was to pump him for information and then move him to solitary.

"Listen detective. Even if I did know something about corrupt activity, and I don't, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I don't like you."

Rivera sighed and began gathering her things. "Just remember that the criminals you're protecting wouldn't blink an eye at letting you rot in this place, or hesitate to sell you out."

"Yeah, but I don't like you." Rivera walked to the door. "You may want to look into their arrest of Ernest Thornhill and his brother Robert. I get the sense they may not be on the up and up."

"Where do you think I'm going now?"

Deeks sat down in a chair next to Kensi and slid his hand into hers. She squeezed his hand.

"You guys should focus on Thornhill. The guy is going to cause trouble, especially after today."

"We'll focus on that once we've dealt with what's important," said Granger.

"We can't un-ring the internal investigation bell," said Bates. "But we can get Rivera to go looking somewhere else and find a way to get you out from under this.

"Assuming that's possible," said Granger. "And putting aside for the moment that Deeks saved my life. Is obstructing justice something we want to be doing."

Bates interrupted. "Everyone makes bad choices, especially the kids. You can't pummel a guy for being young and incredibly stupid." The last few words were delivered with a strong sense of reprimand. "And that is exactly what will happen here, they're not going to factor in eight years of unimpeachable service, just one mistake. In any case, this is unlikely to get to a grand jury let alone a full trial. There's nothing the bosses fear more than a bad headline and Deeks has put away too many guys to throw under the bus for a some stolen money. But that doesn't mean Deeks would survive an internal trial board, especially if Rivera threatens to leaks this to the press when she gets shut down."

"A rather cogent analysis," Granger said.

"You don't make lieutenant in a byzantine organisation like the LAPD without the ability to read the future," said Bates. "You should see the guys who make Deputy Chief."

"They can't fire him without burning every case he's ever worked," said Kensi.

"No, but the general orders are 1200 pages long; they can find plenty of things to fire me for in there," said Deeks.

"This is why you never became an agent isn't it? You knew this would come out," said Kensi.

"We'll talk about it when this is over."

"The point is that to IA Deeks is a means to an end. If we can give Rivera another means to get to her end, then there'll be pressure on her to accept Deeks' reconciliation."

"So we just need to find the corrupt narcotics guys, give Rivera's bosses a chance to make her back down without it blowing up in their faces," said Kensi.

"Right but easier said than done, these are clever sneaky guys who will close ranks against any investigation. And you can bet they have friends who would love nothing more than to give them the heads up."

"So it's probably best if this came from outside your department," said Granger

"Oh, most certainly. But don't think people don't notice your tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. The moment we have them, you take it to Rivera and she makes the arrest. No dead cops."

"Not even corrupt ones?"

"As long as they have badges, they're cops and no one gets to shoot them. Not even a federal agent."

"We'll give you two a few minutes and then we'll get to work." Granger and Bates walked out of the room.

Kensi pulled him in for a long kiss. When they broke apart, she smiled but her face shifted to concern. "Are you ok?"

"That's what you want to ask?"

"It's the most important thing."

"I'm good, glad you don't hate me. The guy I stabbed?"

"You hit him in the kidney, he bled plenty, but he'll make it. You did the right thing." Deeks wasn't sure that was true. But he couldn't have let them die either.

"Are you ok?"

"I slept for a few hours on a couch in Bates office and I have about four awful coffees in my system. So I'm fine."

"But are you good?"

Kensi sighed, Deeks just looked at her, refusing to swallow her bullshit. "I feel helpless and I hate it. I want to get you out of here."

"You and me both"

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"You think I'm not?"

"You're a good man."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"I know, that's part of what makes you a good man. And you just got into a brawl in which four men were killed."

"They were going to kill other people. Who would I be if I just let someone die."

"That's why I love you."

"I love you too." They smiled and Deeks pulled Kensi in for another kiss.

After, there was an awkward pause before Kensi broke the silence. "So, corruption?"

"I was new to the job. The outsider, the only experience I had in legal and I was a public defender before that. I wanted to fit in. One day, the guys all took a cut of the haul. I took mine. Who's going to miss a few bucks. Then it was more than a few bucks, we would hit a place on a warrant and take nothing into evidence, even if there was plenty to be found." Deeks hung his head. "Then there weren't any warrants. One day, things went bad. People died." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I knew I had to get out. I asked for a transfer. Kept my mouth shut. Bates took me in because I'd done some undercover work as part of our stings."

"You could have told me."

"That, I tried to put it behind me. And I didn't want you to think less of me."

"We all have things we're not proud of."

"Your list of failings probably doesn't include theft and murder."

"You're not that person anymore, if you ever were. I know you."

"I think this has made it clear that you don't."

"I've spent almost every day for the past five years with you. I know who you are. And stop insulting me by saying I can't see through you. You're not that good."

Deeks chuckled. "Touché, Fern."

Kensi was silent for a moment. "You kept the money?"

"In a cardboard box in my closet under my comic book collection. I honestly don't know why I didn't get rid of it. I only ever used it when my Mom got sick. For what that's worth."

"When your Mom got sick?"

"Uh cancer, about seven years ago when I was first starting out in undercover."

"Hence, the deposits you couldn't pay her bills in cash. You don't talk about her much."

"She died and, well, there wasn't a lot to say that doesn't involve my dad in some way so..."

"I'd have liked to have met her."

"I think she would have liked you."

"Thanks." "That's why you don't get along with some of the guys at LAPD?"

"I think it was more that I used to work for the dark side and after, well, everything, I didn't really want to fit in, just do my job well. That and my tendency to use humour as a defence mechanism."

"I've noticed that." They sat together for a moment. "Is there anyone you can point us to for…?"

"Extracurricular activities. There were five of us. Sergeant retired when he got his twenty; Gary Hart, caught one in the throat two years ago; Hector Ramirez, but I think he was busted back to uniform for something; and Jonas Hodges, as far as I know he's still around, might have made Sergeant himself, leading his own team. He was the one who shot first on the 42nd Street Boys.

"You're going to have to tell me the full story on that."

I know, but it's not pretty. You should get going."

"You're going to be okay."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself Fern."

"No it wasn't a question. You're going to be okay, we'll get you out even if we have to break you out and run off to Mexico."

"Thanks."

"Thank me when we get you out."

"I intend to."

Kensi smiled and shook her head. "I'll see you soon, partner."

"I'll be waiting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I killed Deek's mom. This was written pre-season 7.


	3. In Which A Man Is Observed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a permit.

As Kensi drove from Central Holding, Granger instructed Eric and Nell to pull everything on Jonas Hodges. By the time they arrived back at the Mission, the pair had assembled a considerable dossier.

"Jonas Xavier Hodges, born 1975, normal suburban upbringing, joined LAPD 1993, average academy scores," Eric listed. "Served in several divisions, though not Rampart. His uniformed days show nothing out of the ordinary other than above average number of brutality complaints. None were substantiated enough to take to a trial board, though two were withdrawn shortly before the board was convene. In 2005, he passed the Detectives exam with flying colours. Entered the Narcotics unit in South Central."

"That's interesting," said Kensi. Either he studied, or he was helped along.

"Even more interesting is that the same year his wife took out a small business loan and brought a carwash," said Nell. "A business that has returned a tidy income to the family, even as Mrs Hodges continues to work a full time job as a surgical nurse."

"Who runs the carwash?" Sam asked.

"We don't know, but Hodges hasn't changed jobs in a decade."

"Not unusual for LAPD."

"In a high stress job like Narcotics, its unusual," countered Nell.

"So he's part of the corrupt network."

"Not the head certainly, but a part of it. A senior part probably, because two years ago, his wife has brought another car wash."

"Sam and I will look into the car washes. There's probably nothing we won't find without a full audit but you never know. Nell, Eric, look into the guys that Hodges works with. Kensi and..."

"I'll go," Granger offered. Kensi nodded.

"Kensi and Granger follow Hodges, find out who he talks to, where he goes. Hodges has had a decade to forget that he's not the law, he'll let something slip."

***

Deeks was standing against his car on the top storey of a parking lot in downtown LA, with Hodges, Ramirez and Hart. Samuels, the team's Sergeant was giving the briefing.

"Thanks to Deeks, we know there are three guys inside, they'll be armed but they won't be any trouble. We smash down the door, Hart and Deeks will clear the upstairs. The rest of us will take the down. Ramirez, find the stash."

"Got it."

The stash house was located in South Central, a partially boarded up row house. The team parked their cars before

They broke down the door. "Police, search warrant."

The three men were all in the downstairs lounge and threw themselves on the floor at those words. Deeks followed Hart up the stairs, backing up his partner. They swept the rooms efficiently before returning down stairs. The three dealers were lined up on the couch, not handcuffed. A small pile of weapons was gathered on the table.

"Where's the stash? Don't make us look, if you make us look, we're not going to be happy at all," Ramirez said. He always used the same speech, and usually it was enough. Not today, though. The three men just looked up at Ramirez sullenly. Ramirez backhanded the one on the left across the face. There had never been a time when that hadn't worked. Still the three men said nothing. So Ramirez picked him up and started punching him in the face.

After thirty seconds of this treatment, Deeks stepped forward. "Hey.” Ramirez kept punching.

“Hey, he's had enough." Ramirez punched the man in the face again and then dropped him to the floor. The man was groaning, but still conscious.

Ramirez turned on Deeks. "What the hell?"

"You kill him imagine the trouble that will cause. And for what, if they were going to talk, they'd have done it already."

"I'm going to get the job done and you're acting like some vegan pussy."

"Hey," said Samuels. "He's right. These guys aren't going to talk. Start a search."

At that moment, the man on the right leapt up and shoulder charged Hodges. Hodges recovered, threw the man down, and then drew his pistol and shot the man once in the head as he lay on the ground. The man in the centre made a play for a weapon on the table. Ramirez shot him twice in the chest.

Deeks didn't move. Just stood there, as Samuels drew his own pistol and shot the beaten man. No witnesses, no hesitation. They'd done this before.

"Oh Jesus."

"Calm down," said Hodges.

"You just shot them." He was babbling, shock talking.

"Vegan pussy," said Ramirez.

"Enough. Let's get the hell out of here," said Samuels.

Then a closet door banged open. Ramirez, Hodges and Samuels all had their backs to the door, Hart was searching the kitchen. There was a fourth man hidden there, maybe another dealer, maybe their boss. Pale skin, light brown hair, hazel eyes, freckles on his cheeks, yellow t-shirt, tan cargo pants. A 9mm pistol in his hand. He raised up, about to shoot his team in the back.

Deeks did what he had been trained to do. He drew his service weapon and put two in the pale man's chest.

Hodges looked at the dead man, then at Deeks. "See, first time jitters, the kid's solid."

***

Sam and Callen were sitting in front of the car wash, just watching who came and went.

"You want to tell me what we're doing here?'

"Did you not hear that Hodges is laundering money through this place."

"I heard that. I'm wondering why we're here, following Hodges is the more fruitful play."

"Yeah but we don't need four of us to follow Hodges."

"Rank has its privileges."

"Kensi wouldn't have liked just sitting here. I'd be the same if it was Joelle and I seem to remember how you behaved when Michelle was undercover."

"It’s not much better having something to do." Sam wasn't proud of the things he'd said or the way he'd acted. A failing. Deeks was a good man, even if that hadn't always been true.

"It’s something. Every bit helps, or something."

"That's insightful, G."

"Try not to sound so surprised."

Just them an SRX drove past. "Was that?"

"Yup." Sam called Kensi. "Fancy seeing you here." Hodges got out of his car as Callen took pictures.

"Hodges took a meeting with another cop this morning, I recognise him from Central Holding. Eric is running him now. They talked for five minutes then Hodges came here."

"Getting rid of the books, maybe," said Sam.

"Criminals are stupid. Especially the ones who are cops," said Callen.

"Yeah, but if the cop recognised Deeks, then Hodges knows and he'll do something about it," said Kensi.

"We'll be there to stop him," said Granger.

"Will we?"

Before any of the men could answer, Eric called. "Bad news. The officer that Hodges met with is one Hector Ramirez, bounced from Narcotics for brutality."

"Ramirez, as in Ramirez from Deeks' old squad?"

"Yes."

"Damnit."

"This is not the end of the world," said Granger. "In fact it's a good thing, Hodges is spooked, which means that he's going to make mistakes, like the one he made just now." Hodges came out of the car wash this time carrying several paper ledgers.

"Follow him Kensi. We'll go in for a closer look at the car wash," said Callen.

"On it."

Once Hodges had driven off with Kensi and Granger in tow, Sam and Callen got out of their car and headed into the car wash. There wasn't anyone at the counter, though there was movement in the office. Both men headed in.

The man behind the desk was pale, sweating, holding a glass of some liquor in his hand.

"Hey, man we're looking for some service here."

"You're cops aren't you." The man stood and drew a pistol from the desk drawer.

Sam and Callen drew their pistols at the same time. "Federal agents."

"I can't go to jail." He raised the pistol to his head.

Sam shot him in the arm. The pistol clattered to the ground. Sam and Callen moved in. Callen cuffed the man's uninjured arm to the chair while Sam quickly checked the gunshot wound and applied pressure.

Callen quickly gave the man his rights. Then got down to business.

"What's your name?"

"Adam." The man was pale and shaking, though not from blood loss, probably just shock.

"Ok Adam, we know your boss is laundering money and I'm sure an audit will provide the proof for that. And you may not know this, but your boss is a corrupt cop, so you're an accessory to all kinds of stuff."

"So you have two choices, you testify against your boss and go to club fed, or you don't testify, and you go to San Quentin," said Sam.

Which one is it going to be?"

"He's going to kill me."

"He'll try to kill you whether you decide to testify or not. Now, we can protect you, but only if you help us."

Adam seemed to come to a conclusion. "About 60% of our revenue is cash he brings in himself. I don't know where it comes from."

"And you'll testify to that?"

"Not much choice now, but the only proof is in the ledgers he took."

"Leave that to us."

***

"Thank you." More than six hours following Hodges and Granger hadn't asked her once about Deeks.

"You're welcome."

Hodges was standing in the parking lot. Pacing in circles, waiting for someone.

A blue Chevy drove up. The driver, a white male, got out. "Do we know this guy?"

Kensi took a picture and sent it to Eric. "No, but we will soon."

"Is there a problem?"

"What makes you think there's a problem?"

"When you're waiting, you pace back and forth, when there's a problem, circles."

"Deeks has been arrested."

"I presume it's for your prior association with him."

"I assume so, Ramirez saw an IA puke bring him into lockup."

"But you don't know."

"Ramirez checked, he's in the system as Max Gentry, they put him in gen pop first and now he's in the hole."

"So maybe he's undercover."

"Then it would be one of Bates' wonder boys bringing him in, not IA."

"What do you want to do?"

"Deeks is going to be under a lot of pressure, I'm not sure he can withstand it."

"I don't see him ratting us out, especially if he hasn't already."

"Neither do I, but are you really willing to bet the rest of your life on that."

"You have a plan for dealing with him? He is in the hole after all."

"Anyone can be gotten to, and we have to get to him. Talk to Ramirez, Deeks needs to be pulled out the hole for some meeting, maybe with Rivera. I'll arrange for the Aryans to do a walk by. Problem solved."

"He has friends. You can be sure Bates will be raising hell, the guy may be an arrogant dick but he looks out for his guys."

"Bates has nothing on us and when Deeks is gone, that will end, it always ends."

"I'll talk to Ramirez."

"Good."

The unknown male went back to his Chevy and drove off.

Kensi turned to Granger. "Do we take him now?"

"No, we wait until he orders the hit. Then we take him and the Aryans."

"That's a dangerous game."

"This job always is."

"This time the stakes is Deeks' life."

"The stakes are always your lives. By now, we have warrants on Ramierez and Hodges. We'll know what they're saying before they say it."

"What if we miss it?"

"I know you're scared, but I am very confident. We are going to get these guys, we are going to get them before they get Deeks and we are going to find a way to fix this."

"You don't know that."

"No, I don't. But right now, we don't have enough to arrest them. So we don't have a choice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It says: "I do what I want"


	4. In Which A Man Is Released

Marty sat in the dark, alone. Except for a few all too brief periods, he’d been alone since he was eleven years old. And almost all those times had been disasters. All except one.

Maybe he deserved it, being alone. Intellectually he knew that hed done the right thing by shooting that man all those years ago. That it was not really different from the dozens of shootouts hed been in over the years since. But it still weighed on him more than the others. He couldn't have stopped what happened that night, it had been over too fast, and he knew that confessing wouldn't have brought the dead back. But some part of his brain still whispered coward, failure, oathbreaker to him in the dark.

He had a feeling it always would.

***

Kensi, Sam, Callen and Granger sat in Kensi’s SRX, listening to the tap on Hodges’ cellphone. They listended to him make calls to his wife, to his accountant, to his subordinates, to his boss. They listened to him make his lunch order.

“At least we’ll be able to get him on using work time for personal business,”granger said.

“Well that should be helpful,” snapped Kensi.

Before Granger could respond, Callen’s phone chirped again. Hodges was making another call, to a cellphone. Eric would already be on chasing it.

“Who’s this?”

“The cops, dipshit.”

“I seem to recall you promised us protection?”

“In my division, arrests outside it are neither my problem nor my fault. Now I’ve talked to a friend of mine and we should be able to get your charges reduced. But this is not about that. I need you to do a job for me”

“How much?” Apparently money meant far more than honour.

“Twenty grand.”

“In or out?”

“In.”

“Who?”

“Goes by Gentry. Tall, surfers build, blonde hair.”

“Got in a fight with some Russians yesterday, put eight of them in the hospital and four in the morgue.”

“By himself?”

“There were a couple of other guys. But for him it goes up to fifty.”

“Or I could get the Russians to do it for free. Thirty.”

“He’s in the hole. Forty five.”

“I’m taking care of that. Thirty five.”

“Forty.”

“Done.”

“When and where?”

“3.15 this afternoon he’ll be pulled out of the hole and taken to visitation, corridor C. Do the guard and the deal’s off.”

“I miss a chance to deal to a guard and it hurts me in here.”

“Harm a hair on the guard’s head and your charges will be dropped and you’ll be out here with me.”

“Got it.”

Hodges cut the connection.

Callen turned to Granger. “Enough?”

“More than enough, Agent Callen.”

The four agents stepped out of the car.

“Hodges,” shouted Kensi. The man turned. “Federal agents. We need to talk.”

Hodges put the pieces together pretty quickly. Then he went for his service weapon. Granger shot him in the knee before the pistol even cleared the holster.

“You’re under arrest.”

Kensi turned to Granger. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They called Bates, who called Rivera, who sent two Detectives to the hospital to take Hodges confession.

***

Deeks walked out the gate. Kensi and Bates were waiting. Kensi pulled him into a hug. When she let him go, Deeks and Bates shook hands.

“You’re not going to be charged. We got Hodges, the department has enough trouble in the present to worry about the past.”

“I figured that. Did you look into Thornhill?”

“You’re not going to let that go are you?”

“You didn’t meet him. He wants revenge and he’s willing to kill anyone to get it.”

“As it happens, I did look into him and found nothing.”

“Then you need-.”

“I mean I found nothing, as in his house has been cleared out, he quit his job as a bookkeeper at a construction firm and he left no phone number or forwarding address. He has no criminal record and he wasn’t booked anywhere so there are no fingerprints or photographs to track him with.”

“What about IA?”

“You think they’re ever going to tell me anything. We’ll keep searching.”

“I don’t think I can stay in the LAPD.”

“Well that’s the other thing.” Bates took a deep breath. “There’s going to be a trial board in a fortnight with your name on the hitlist.”

“What?”

“Rivera proved you lied on a tax form, and I’m sure they can cobble to get a few more minor infractions to prove conduct unbecoming.”

“They’re going to fire me for that?”

“The alternative is you get life in jail for murder in the commission of a robbery.”

“I thought, how did this happen?”

“I called in all the favours I could, but your old Lieutenant is now the Deputy Assistant Chief for Narcotics and he wants to eliminate the slightest hint of scandal when he’s up for promotion in the next go around. With you discredited, there’s no one to link him to Hodges. The Deputy Chief doesn’t like it, but if Rivera or Driscoll cause a stink, and they could, a lot of people will lose their pensions. More than enough to burn for the Deputy to burn a good cop over.”

“A good cop,” Deeks said softly. “Maybe I deserve it.”

“You think you’re the first cop who put his foot over the line, looked in the mirror and didn’t like what he saw. Don’t forget that the people who actually know you think you’ve atoned.”

“Is it going to be bad for you?”

“It’s not like you misbehaved under my watch and these days I keep my nose clean. But if the bosses want to do me, then they’ll find a way to make sure that I’m done.”

“Tell them I’ll resign.”

“Deeks,” said Bates and Kensi simultaneously.

“It’s okay. They’re going to do me, and there’s no need for you to get caught in the crossfire.”

“If you do this, they’ll never let you join NCIS.”

“That ship sailed a while ago, Kens.”

“This isn’t fair.”

“It’s fair, it may not be for what I’ve done, but I broke the oath, I’ve tried to live by it since, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t break it in the first place.” He nodded. “I’ll be okay. I can always be Mr Blye, raise the ninja assassins.”

“What?” Bates said.

“Long story.”

“Okay. Listen Deeks, I’m-.”

“There was nothing you could do. Thank you for everything.”

Bates nodded. “I’ll see you round.” The two men shook hand and then Bates headed for his car.

“You should get back to work too.” Deeks said to Kensi. She pulled him into a hug.

“This is crazy.”

“We’ll figure it out.” He paused. “It’s going to be okay, even if we have to run off to Mexico.”

Kensi smiled. “Yeah. I’ll drive you home first.”

“Yeah.”

***

Hetty and Granger were arguing in her office. Sam and Callen stood near their desks. Eric and Nell came down from Ops.

“What’s going on?” Eric asked.

“Mom and Dad are fighting,” said Callen.

“Who’s winning?” The other three turned to look at Eric. “What?”

Kensi came in, her head down.

“Didn’t think we’d see you again today. Where’s Deeks?”

“His suspension hasn’t been lifted. There’s going to be a trial board in two weeks.”

“I thought the deal was we get Hodges, Deeks comes home.”

“So did I, so did Bates. The bosses at LAPD had different ideas.” She turned to Hetty’s office “What’s going on over there?”

“Not sure. Nothing good though.”

“You’ve wanted me out since the moment you came here,” said Hetty

“When I came here I was concerned you’d lost perspective. Turns out I was right, just not in the way I thought.”

“I did what I did to protect an innocent man.”

“Jack Simon was no innocent lamb, he knew he was endangering a dozen people by living in a Taliban controlled village. Two of my men died Henrietta. Between them they left behind six children, one of them a four month old girl who will never know her father.”

“I could not have foreseen-.”

“Bullshit, if you’re so smart, and we both know you are, how could you not foresee the consequences of sending an agent halfway round the world to find out their former fiancée was a killer working for the enemy? How could you not foresee that that agent would do what we trained her to do and investigate?”

Hetty sagged momentarily  then lifted her head, her face an impassive mask. “Well, what exactly are you going to do Owen?”

“I may not be able to get rid of you. Hell, even Vance can’t get rid of you. But you have a lot fewer friends than you used to. So I would watch my back if I were you. Other than that, you have what you wanted.”

“You really believe that all this is what I wanted.”

The remains of the team walked over when the voices were raised. “What’s going on?” Callen demanded.

“Mr Callen-.”

Granger interrupted. “Hetty first met Jack Simon when he was in Mosul. They kept in touch while he wandered the earth. Their last contact was two days before Agent Blye was sent to Afghanistan.”

“How do you know all this?”

“The friend at the CIA gave me the emails that Jack and Hetty exchanged. Turns out even Hetty can’t hide from the NSA.”

Kensi had gone almost white. She stared at Hetty. “You lied to me, for six years, about this, of all things.” Hetty said nothing. Kensi turned on her heel.

Sam grabbed her arm. “Kensi-.”

“No Sam, I’m going to go, before I say something I won’t regret.” She shook him off and walked out.

***

Max Gentry was sitting in the Old Haunt on Preston, drinking whiskey and contemplating whether he would rather fight the heavy at the other end of the bar or screw the very pretty blonde bartender. Probably the latter.

The moment Kensi had driven off for another day at OSP, working for her, Deeks had headed out. There was no way he was staying cooped up in his apartment all day. He’d been there, done that, it didn’t solve anything. Besides, he was waiting for a phone call.

The bartender walked towards him. Max was definitely thinking the latter, Deeks tried to keep him in check, the last thing he wanted was to destroy the only good thing he had left in his life. This time, he wouldn’t strike first.

“Phone for you.” Finally, three weeks of waiting had paid off.

“Thanks.”

The sound of a familiar voice came out of the phone. “Mr Gentry. Are you still looking for a job?”

“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marty Deeks will return in "Running with the Devil"

**Author's Note:**

> Let's nuke the status quo and see how it goes.


End file.
